Caden claims third school holiday title

CUESTARS Bronze Tour player Caden Read survived a nerve-jangling end to the week to clinch his third school holiday competition title at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.

The nine-year-old left-hander finished the record-breaking five-day Autumn Half-Term Cup just one point ahead of runner-up Lennon Savage, nine, and three points ahead of third-placed Thomas Devine, ten.

Two round-robin groups of eight and seven were needed to accommodate the huge turnout on the final day. A trio of three-way tiebreaks took place before the final play-off between the corresponding group positions.

Six players entered the last lap with good chances of taking top spot. Ellise Scott, O’Shay Scott and overnight leader William Thomson dropped away after lunch. Lennon, Caden and Thomas finished joint top of their group. And Lennon won the tiebreak.

But then it really got tight in the play-offs. Lennon would have claimed his first title if he hadn’t lost to Freddie Turner or if Caden hadn’t beaten Kean Zhu.

O’Shay recorded the week’s highest break of 44. Riley Ellis won the cricket on Thursday with a best knock of 82. O’Shay was crowned the three-ball wizard for the umpteenth time after Tuesday’s billiards. And seven-year-old veteran William amassed a staggering score of 25 on Level 6 of the Cuestars Academy on Monday. (Can he complete the seven standard levels before his eighth birthday in June next year?)

This competition attracted 26 different players and the average daily attendance of just over 12 was the highest of all the 39 school holiday competitions we have run over the past six years. Next up is the Christmas Cup.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

From left: Thomas Devine, Caden Read, Lennon Savage.

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)